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Sponsor The San Diego Banded Gecko

Finding Species created an educational, interactive website
for the Geckos of the United States in collaboration with scientists,
researchers, and originally with the support of USGS National Biological
Information Infrastructure (NBII). GeckoWeb has provided scientists and
naturalists with a high-quality website to identify and study geckos and their
threatened habitats in the United States. Finding Species located and
documented species throughout the country, taking some of the most up-close,
detailed images ever captured of these elusive species. The website was
recently updated to be smart phone compatible and we would now like to add
three more species. With your help, we can document these additional species.

Finding Species encourages you to sponsor a Gecko for
$1,500. With your generous donation, you can honor a loved one and receive
recognition on the GeckoWeb website along-side the gecko you sponsor. Your
donation will provide Finding Species the resources to locate accessible geckos
to photograph, cover costs of transportation, and photo-document the key
characteristics of each gecko and its habitat. Finding Species always shares
photos with scientists, institutions, and organizations for educational
purposes. The fun part is you will be able to watch our progress as we keep
everyone posted on social media and small clips of our work will be shared on
our YouTube channel. You can help document species, one species at a time.
Please join our efforts to Give a Face to Biodiversity.

Sponsor the San Diego Banded Gecko

Banded Geckos prowl the night like
tiny cats, twitching their tails as they stalk their insect prey. This
gecko, up to 5 in. (12.7 cm) in. TL, has functional eyelids and slit,
vertical pupils. Its toes have distinct claws but no expanded toepads.
The bands across the body are dark brown, distinct, and equal to or
narrower than the creamy spaces between. The back of the neck has a
distinct light-colored collar mark, and there are no dark spots on the
top of the head.

Habitat and RangeThe
San Diego Banded Gecko is found in southwestern California just inland
from the Pacific coast, from Ventura County south into northwestern and
central Baja California. It is found in coastal scrub chaparral and
desert scrub habitats, preferring granite or rocky outcrops within these
habitats.

HabitsBanded
geckos hunt at night by moving slowly across the ground with frequent
pauses, constantly licking the ground and objects for chemical cues. In
this way they locate beetles, spiders and other arthropod food items.
They sometimes squeak when disturbed. Females lay several clutches of
two eggs, usually underneath rocks or other cover. Banded geckos consume
their own skin after shedding it.

Similar SpeciesThe
San Diego Banded Gecko is found in close proximity to two other banded
geckos, the Desert Banded Gecko and Barefoot Gecko. Barefoot Gecko has
enlarged tubercles scattered across its neck and sides. The very similar
Desert Banded Gecko has a spotted head and lacks a distinct
light-colored collar mark, although San Diego Banded Geckos from
Riverside and San Bernardino Counties may have spots on their head and
their dorsal bands may be more spotted and wider than usual. The native
Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko and introduced Stump-toed Gecko,
Mediterranean Gecko, or Common Wall Gecko all have expanded toepads and
lack moveable eyelids.

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ABOUT Finding Species

FINDING SPECIES, INC (www.findingspecies.org) was founded in 1996 and formally incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2003. It has US staff based in Takoma Park, Maryland, and in San Marcos, Texas. Finding Species maintained an international program in Ecuador from 2007-2012. Ecuador is one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world that harbor more than 60% of the world’s total biodiversity. Finding Species’ mission is to uniquely contribute to the resolution of critical environmental, conservation, and biodiversity issues through aesthetically beautifully, scientifically significant photographs.